Ennervate
by madam-pyro
Summary: A HarryHermione challenge fic. Ron and Hermione have been married for eleven years. All has seemed fine in their marriage until Harry comes to visit and he notices some changes...in all parties concerned.
1. The Mark

**Disclaimer: If I was in fact J.K. Rowling and owned the Harry Potter characters do you really think I would waste my time going to Auror Vs. Sidekickers death matches pretending to be an eighteen year old who through fan fiction paired my characters in all sorts of odd combinations just to fulfil the sad hope that one day, maybe, just maybe my ship will prevail over all. Oh and if it doesn't at least in my own little imagination and world of writing, it does because despite if in the 7th book Ron and Hermione have a shot gun wedding I still know she loves Fudge! I didn't think so.  
  
Haha fools...that should be believable enough for them so they don't know it's really me writing what I can't in my books...  
  
I mean....  
  
Hello all!  
  
Welcome to the first chapter of my new fic. This fic has been created due to a challenge set by grrbaby (an avid Harry/Hermione shipper). Why is this a challenge? Well as much as I would be cool with Harry and Hermione getting together, I have up until now been a strictly Hermione/Draco. So yeah this should be rather interesting. I also set her a challenge in the form of a Pansy/Neville pairing in case you guys are interested in seeing how in the world she is going to manage to pull it off   
  
It's on my favorites list   
  
I apologise for the EXTREME shortness of this first chapter. I have already overshot my deadline of having this chapter up, so I had to throw this together last minute. The muses took awhile to give me inspiration. So yes although this is SO much shorter than my usual chapters in fics, I will have another one up in a day or two so please don't eat me!  
  
Cheers all!  
  
madampyro  
**  
  
**Chapter 1: The Mark**  
  
A hooded figure crept silently up the lane. Black as the night itself, it was unlikely that they would be spotted, especially in such a deserted place. But discretion was imperative.  
  
_'I mustn't fail'_ thought the hooded figure  
  
_'I can't fail. I've already taken very good care of everything inside, this last little finishing touch should be a piece of cake. My work here would make my master proud'_  
  
The figure slithered closer to a little stone wall which marked the front yard of quite an ordinary quaint house. By daylight the house was a warm place, surrounded by beauty, which can only be seen in the English countryside. It was a joyful place that people always fell in love with on first inspection, everything from the climbing vines that hugged the right side of the house, to the rose garden, despite its seasonal gnome inhabitants.  
  
The atmosphere around the house was quite different now. All was dark, velvet black. The comforting laughter that usually surrounded this home was lost.  
  
The figure took a breath and reached into the deep pockets of their midnight coat. They pulled out their wand and held it high into the sky. It was time to finish what they had begun.  
  
With their wand held high, they found their voice-  
  
_'Morsmordre!'  
_  
Finally light, in a form that appeared to be like lightening rippled in the night sky. But lightening is not green. What emerged from this light was a colossal skull, composed of what looked like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue (1). After so many years, the dark mark had finally emerged once more...  
  
_'For the greater good of the wizarding world'_ Spoke the figure darkly  
  
_'The way it should be'_  
  
The green light that outlined the dark mark which had now tattooed the once pitch black sky now served as a beacon to highlight certain aspects of the surrounding landscape. This included the little house of course, including its crooked maroon mailbox, which had printed on it in glittering gold letters 'Ron and Hermione Weasley'.  
  
**Well that's my very miniature first chapter. Again I apologise for its lack of quantity (and most probably quality also)  
  
Please leave a review and don't forget to take a peak at grrbaby's 'Messy' Pansy/Neville challenge fic.  
  
Oh and by the way, for an explanation as to why I chose 'Ennervate'as my title, go have a look at mugglenet.com on the name definitions page. Even then it may not make a whole lot of sense, but it will in time.  
  
(1) Rowling, J.K, (2004), 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire', Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London, p.115**


	2. Auror

Hello All!  
  
Ok so its been like a week, but this IS a much longer chapter (yeah by about 1300 words) so please don't eat me!  
  
Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 2: Auror**  
  
Hermione Weasley's stomach lurched as she looked up into the night sky. The dark mark, known to all wizards throughout the world was sitting directly above her home and was grinning menacingly down upon her. Training to be an Auror had provided Hermione with certain instincts for situations of danger. These instincts kicked in immediately as she jumped over her rough stone wall and tore across her front garden, dodging flowerbeds and mini fountains in the process.  
  
Hermione grabbed her wand out of her right cloak pocket as she ran closer towards the house. She raised it out her front door and shouted 'Alohomora' just in time for her to leap up the veranda steps and race through the newly opened entranceway.  
  
Immediately after entering the house she came to a halt and listened.  
  
The house was dark, and not a single noise, bar the creaking of the old staircase could be heard. Hermione decided that this was not a good sign. She didn't even dare whisper 'lumos'.  
  
_'Please don't let Ron have been home'_ she prayed desperately as she finally dared to inch towards the dining room. Her wand was at the ready as she entered the deserted room. She edged around the furniture carefully, investigating her surroundings with all of her senses, searching for any sign of life, whether good or bad. Everything appeared in tact and exactly as it had been left that morning. The candles still stood proudly in the center of the mahogany table, and her husbands cereal bowl still sat there unwashed and with a tiny lake of milk inhabiting it. This was, in Hermione's opinion, a rather bad habit of Ron's, one which she scolded him daily about. One which didn't bother her in the slightest at this point of time as she crept towards the kitchen.  
  
What she didn't see as she turned her back on the seemingly deserted room was a shadow pass in front of the moon-illuminated window. Hermione had almost left the room before she heard a slithering voice hiss-  
  
"Mudblood"  
  
Hermione span around, wand instantly in dueling position, to face a tall masked figure in a midnight cloak, with their long and slightly crooked wand pointed directly at her chest. Death Eater.  
  
The figure laughed, but it sounded more like an acute asthma attack.  
  
"Poor little mudblood all on her lonesome...crucio!"  
  
Hermione ducked. The curse flew inches above her head and collided with a nearby potplant.  
  
The flustered ex-Gryffindor straightened up again and practically threw her arm out at the death eater.  
  
"That was my favorite mimbulus mimbletonia plant. Expelliarmus!"  
  
The masked Death Eater's wand flew from his hand. His laughter ceased. The panicked eyes, clearly visible from the slits in the mask darted from Hermione to the hallway. He quickly made a decision and threw a nearby chair out of the way as he scrambled for the exit.  
  
Hermione's jaw clenched  
  
"Oh no you don't...stupefy!"  
  
The curse hit the death eater in the back. He fell forward, instantly knocked out.  
  
Hermione breathed a quick sigh of relief before putting herself back on guard. There were bound to be more.  
  
"Accio wand" whispered the brunette.  
  
The Death Eaters wand flew from under the table and into her hand. She pocketed it quickly.  
  
_'No little advantages for him if he wakes up'_ she thought to herself  
  
As Hermione turned toward the kitchen again she heard a slow clap coming from the hallway.  
  
"Most impressive Miss Granger, most impressive indeed" the voice drolled silkily  
  
Hermione turned slowly towards the voice she knew only too well. Yet another cloaked Death Eater was before her, yet this one was leaning quite relaxed on the entranceway.  
  
Hermione glared at the death eater  
  
"My name is Hermione Weasley" she snarled  
  
The masked man let out a musical laugh  
  
"Oh yes, **that.** You know Shakespeare once wrote that a rose by any other name smells just as sweet, I have no doubt that it also works the other way. Once a mudblood, always a mudblood, regardless of name."  
  
Hermione chocolate eyes shot daggers at the clearly amused man.  
  
"I suppose it goes the same for you then Mr. Malfoy, once a death eater always a death eater? By the way, I was wondering if you could clear up a little rumour for me. Was Draco buried in the family plot or not? I wasn't sure considering he died defending his PREGNANT muggle-born girlfriend against you. I mean one would think that he wouldn't have been given the honour but you according to your logic, once a Malfoy, always a Malfoy."  
  
Lucius Malfoy ripped off his mask to reveal his sleek porcelain face, which now included a long scar that ran from the corned of his left eye, down to the cleft in his chin. A scar inflicted by his only son. His stormy gray shone with fury  
  
"Silence insolent girl! How dare you talk to me of my son! Crabbe! Goyle!"  
  
Hermione screeched outwardly as two strong, oaf like arms grabbed her from either side. She screamed at herself inwardly at her own stupidity for being baited and captured so easily.  
  
Hermione struggled fruitlessly against her captives as Lucius glided gracefully towards her. He effortlessly plucked her wand from her hand when he reached her struggling form.  
  
"I'll be taking this. Wouldn't want our new play toy getting violent. Come gentlemen, bring Miss Granger into the lounge, the furniture is so much more...comfortable... in there"  
  
Malfoy smirked at Hermione as he turned to lead his little entourage into the lounge room.  
  
_'Think Hermione think'_ she cried desperately to herself  
  
Crabbe and Goyle senior laughed stupidly at Malfoy like he had made some fabulous joke and began dragging Hermione across the dining room, over the fallen body of the first death eater, through the hallway and into the lounge room.  
  
"Sit" ordered Malfoy before turning to inspect the room with clear distaste.  
  
Crabbed and Goyle sat on a large, burgundy lounge, with Hermione situated in between them. As Hermione sat back she felt something pointing uncomfortable into her back. She allowed herself a tiny smirk  
  
_'Hermione, you idiot'_ she critisized herself.  
  
Slowly and discreetly (although it must be said that even an earthquake is discreet when it comes to the Crabbes and Goyles of both generations) moved her right hand down and into her cloak pocket She clutched the cool wood between her fingers before sharply bringing up her elbows as far as her human constraints would allow and brought them both down into Crabbe and Goyles crotches.  
  
The two hollered in pain. Malfoy instantly spun around but she already had the death eaters wand pointed at him. Malfoy sneered at his two cronies  
  
"incompetent fools"  
  
Hermione took this chance.  
  
"Expelliarmus!"  
  
Malfoy promptly side stepped the curse like it was an everyday casual encounter.  
  
"Is that it Miss Granger? Is that all you have for me? You know I think you would make a nice little slave...Imperio!"  
  
Hermione dived behind an over-stuffed lounge chair. Malfoy laughed  
  
"Quite the little fire cracker aren't we?"  
  
Hermione scowled and poked up from behind the chair just to give herself enough time to throw another curse at Malfoy-  
  
"stupefy!"  
  
This time Malfoy was caught somewhat off guard and had to dive into a pile of soot in front of the fire place to avoid it. He looked up in anger and disgust  
  
"You ruined my favorite mudblood hunting clothes, you will pay dearly for that Miss Granger..Avada Kedavra!"  
  
At the same time he muttered this however, Hermione had also once again yelled-  
  
"Stupefy!"  
  
The two spells destroyed each other half way across the room.  
  
Malfoy had by this time gotten back on his feet and was once again letting out a tinker of laughter.  
  
"Honestly Miss Granger, are those the only two spells you know? And I thought you were te most brilliant mind to come out of Hogwarts"  
  
He rose his wand again and began stalking towards her. Hermiones face reddened with anger as she pointed hers also-  
  
"Impedimenta!"  
  
Suddenly Malfoy seemed to be going in slow motion, he too had seemed to notice this and turned his head slowly towards Crabbe and Goyle senior.  
  
"Do something you fools!"  
  
The two however were still rolling around on the couch in pain. Hermione rolled her eyes, pointed her wands at them and once again let out a-  
  
"Stupefy!"  
  
"Not so tough on your man-servents are you? Oh and by the way, my name is Hermione WEASLEY. STUPEFY!"  
  
"HERMIONE!"  
  
The young woman turned from a very unconscious Malfoy to look at the doorway where two tall men, one with hair bright enough to power half of Surrey, and the other with hair black enough to rival the death eaters costumes were standing. Ron Weasley quickly rushed towards his wife in a rather suffocating bear hug  
  
"Oh we were so worried, I went straight from practise to pick up Harry, but you didn't know cause it was a surprise and then we arrived and the dark mark was over the house and all the lights were out and we went positively mental and then there was a death eater in the hallway and....oh my god what is Lucius Malfoy doing on our lounge room floor!"  
  
Naturally Ron had said all of this rather hurriedly and had not stopped for breath.  
  
"Well obviously everything's alright now Ron, she is here in one piece. It seems all that Auror training has come in handy eh Hermione?" said the raven haired man with a grin  
  
Hermione grinned back and threw herself into the arms of the boy-who-lived.  
  
"Harry it's wonderful to see you!"  
  
She pulled back from the hug and looked into the worried and confused looking face of her husband. She winked at them both which only produced more confused stares from both parties, and rose her wand into the air  
  
"Finite Incantatum"

* * *

Well that's it folks :)  
  
Hope you enjoyed this much longer chappie. Please don't forget to review ;)  
  
Madam Pyro 


	3. Explanations

A big thank you to those of you who reviewed :)  
  
You've made a young lass feel quite special. Heh. I'm glad there are people who are actually enjoying a fic that's been written as a challenge and that isn't my usual ship. Rock on.  
  
Well I really have nothing else say, besides let the show go on!

* * *

**Chapter 3: Explanations**  
  
The instant that Hermione had whispered these words the house lit up in its usual warm and welcoming light and the four fallen bodies strewn across the floor disappeared.  
  
Ron and Harry's mouths hung open in shock  
  
"But, but, but they were here and you were there and...what?" stuttered Ron  
  
Harry simply stood in the entryway looking as if he could use a lie down, or a stiff drink.  
  
Hermione smirked at the two, rather enjoying herself.  
  
"Training spell. It took me quite a while to concoct it but I've used it a few times now...while you're away that is" She stated in matter of factly way that only Hermione can achieve  
  
Ron's face was still blank in confusion  
  
"But the dark mark...and Malfoy!"  
  
Hermione laughed.  
  
"I created the dark mark, and Malfoy, along with the other FAKE Death Eaters were boggarts I had...ahem...acquired, from Hagrid and bewitched to not be destroyed through the riddikulus spell but through the ordinary defensive spells that one would use in a dangerous situation. It was all just Auror training, I mean no it may not be particularly necessary but I believe it's good to test oneself at times"  
  
A flicker of light came to Ron's eyes, one that was far from happy.  
  
"That's all well and good but what about the neighbours Hermione! What if they had seen something? Did you expect a great whopping green skull above the house not to stir panic? Not to mention the fact that we could have had the ministry on our backs when they found out it was all a hoax! We could have been in a lot of trouble!"  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry watched that little domestic carry on with mild amusement.  
  
_'It seems some things never change'_ He thought secretly to himself  
  
Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes in a way that had been reserved only for Ron over the last two decades  
  
"Oh honestly Ron, do you really think I hadn't covered all that? The neighbours knew I was merely conducting a training simulation, as does the ministry. It was my master's idea in the first place, he thinks I was advanced enough to test myself in this way."  
  
This hardly clamed her husband down. His ears had turned nearly as red as his flaming hair.  
  
"Oh so you tell half the British wizarding world but not your own husband! Didn't you think I would be worried if I came home to see the bloody dark mark over my house!"  
  
Hermione lowered her eyes slightly. He did have a point, even if she hated to admit it.  
  
"Alright, I probably should have told you Ron. It's just that I thought you would get all worried, and I really never expected you to come home on the nights I trained. The nights I chose were ones that corresponded with your late practices or when you were on tour. I mean of course I still was worried that you might be home and prayed every time that you wouldn't be so you wouldn't be going ballistic with worry. I really didn't expect you to come home tonight, especially not with Harry" She turned slightly towards Harry and smiled at him before wrapping her arms around her husband  
  
"I'm sorry"  
  
Ron sighed and returned the hug.  
  
"I'm sorry too, I didn't mean to go out of my head, I was just worried that's all"  
  
They broke apart, smiled at each other and looked in the direction of Harry. Hermione cocked her head sideways slightly.  
  
"As for you, how long do you plan on staying?" she sniffed, looking down at Harry in a rather scarily accurate impersonation of Dolores Umbridge  
  
Harry walked over the lounge-of-previous-crotch-crunching and laid across it lazily.  
  
"Oh I dunno, as long as you'll have me" He smirked at his best friends  
  
"Well that was the surprise Hermione, I thought maybe Harry could stay for the whole summer. I mean he's not needed back at Hogwarts until term starts again and I thought he would be good company for you while I'm busy training and stuff."  
  
As happy as Hermione was at the prospect of her best friend, who they didn't see nearly often enough, staying for the entire summer, her eyes shot towards her husband quickly.  
  
"I thought you promised to be around more this summer...you said you could apparate home during the World Tour"  
  
Ron shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably.  
  
Harry watched the pair closely with a slight frown on his forehead.  
  
"I know sweet heart, but you know what its like, trying to apparate between countries, the International Wizarding Federation doesn't like it. And I'll be so tired after some days that I'll probably be lousy company anyway.  
  
Ron saw the un-impressed look in his wifes eyes  
  
"...But its more than likely that it will be all ok and there won't be any trouble at all and I'll be home as many nights as possible. And you guys will come and see my games of course, we can spend time together then"  
  
Hermione was about to open her mouth to respond in the negative again but caught the inquisitive look in Harry's eyes.  
  
"Of course Ron, I'm sure you're right, we'll all get time together, just like the old days. In the meantime I think it's been a rather long day and we should really get some dinner into us. Harry is leftover Shepherds Pie alright with you?"  
  
Harry let the slightly worried look melt off his face quickly and he grinned at the brunette.  
  
"As long as you didn't cook it"  
  
Hermione spun around and threw him a mock glare his way.  
  
"I'd be careful if I were you, unless you want to end up like Fake Lucius. I also think its safe to say that due to that comment Mr. Harry Potter will be eating Crookshanks cat food for dinner"  
  
"Thank heaven for that" Harry replied cheekily  
  
The trio laughed as Ron placed his hand on his wifes back and the pair walked back towards the kitchen. Harry immediately followed suit but once again let a little frown creep onto his face as he thought about the words that had been exchanged between his two best friends only mere moments ago.

* * *

Yay another chappie down! I will once again escape Katies yelling at me via msn to update. Hurrah! Thanks for reading everyone. Please review :) 


End file.
